The invention relates to a disc brake and, in particular, to a disc brake for utility vehicles.
Disc brakes with an electromotively actuated adjusting system are known per se; thus, for example, from German Patent Document DE 197 56 519 A1. A center arrangement of the adjusting drive between the rotating and adjusting screws is also known, for example, from German Patent Document DE 37 16 202 A1 or International Patent Document WO99/05428.
The idea of using an electric adjusting motor for driving the adjusting device of the disc brake has been successful per se. However, it is desirable to create a disc brake in the case of which, on the one hand, the electric motor is particularly easily accessible in order to ensure an uncomplicated exchange of the electric motor. Furthermore, the electric motor should also be arranged at a site of the disc brake which is relatively insensitive to temperatures, so that it will not be subjected to an excessive heat development during braking.
The invention has the object of solving the above-mentioned problems.
The invention achieves this task by providing a disc brake, particularly for utility vehicles, having a caliper which extends over a brake disc, a brake application device for the application of the disc brake, as well as an adjusting system for compensating brake pad wear and/or brake disc wear. The adjusting system has at least one electric motor as a drive, wherein the at least one electric motor is arranged on the caliper such that it is accessible from an exterior of the caliper.
In contrast to the state of the art, at least one or more electric motors are arranged on the caliper such that they are accessible from the outside. This area of the disc brake is subjected to a clearly lower heat development during braking than the caliper interior where heat is transmitted to the elements in the interior of the caliper by way of the brake pads.
Furthermore, a particularly easy exchangeability of the at least one electric motor can be implemented in an exterior area of the caliper or at the caliper exterior.
The at least one electric motor is preferably coupled by way of a driving connection with at least one adjusting device within the caliper, in which case the driving connection can be constructed in a cost-effective manner as a shaft.
If the at least one electric motor is mounted, either completely or in sections, in a recess on the exterior side of the caliper, the electric motor can be protected against weather influences and damage by rocks and the like in a simple manner. This protection can be supplemented by a covering.
If the adjusting system on one or on both sides of the brake disc is constructed as an adjuster module, which can be preassembled and which has the driving connection to the electric motor and a reduction gear connected behind the electric motor, an adjusting sleeve being attached to the at least one mounting plate, an easy pre-assembly and final assembly of the adjusting system can be implemented at low cost expenditures.
The invention is suitable for electromotively or pneumatically actuated disc brakes, which have a floating caliper, a fixed caliper or a sliding caliper. One of the adjusting devices, respectively, is preferably constructed on both sides of the brake disc.
Additional advantageous further developments of the invention are described and claimed herein.
In the following, preferred embodiments are described in detail by means of the drawings.